Golf scoring device



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PAUL N. COATES, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA GOLF SCORING DEVICE Application filed October 6, 1930. Serial No. 486,604.

The present invention relates to a golf scoring and recording device.

In the playing of golf, particularly in tournament play, it is. desirable to know the standings of the different players and also their location on the golf course.

An object of the present invention is to make a mechanism with members adapted for marking the scores of individual players thereon arranged to travel along an indexed path indicating the various holes of the golf course with the par score at each hole indicated thereon.

In order to attain this object, there is provided, in accordance with one feature of the invention, a score board having the holes of the course indicated thereon by number and separated from each other by equally spaced index markings, each of which indicates one shot in the par score for each of said holes. A plurality of score indicating members are provided and are adapted to overlie the face of the score board, each of said members being formed with a pointer pointing toward the indexed units on the board. A traveling conveying mechanism is mounted on the board and may be connected to the score 1ndicating members to move them along the score board at a uniform rate of speed corresponding to the estimated normal amountof time required to play the course.

Of course, there is a wide variation 1n the amount of time required to play a course by a poor player and a good player, but, in

tournament play, all of the players progress along the course at a remarkably uniform rate of speed and it is this feature which permits the use of such a board. as is illus- 40 trated and described herein. in In the accompany drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a device embodying the present invention, with a plurality of score indicating members mounted thereon.

Figure 2 is a top view of the mechanism shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a rear view ofthe structure shown in Figures 1 and 2 with a housing and drive unit for a conveyor chain removed,

the position of the housing being indicated 1n dotted lines.

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 4- of Figure 1, the lower portion thereof being broken away to permit increasing the scale of the drawing; and lgure 5 is a view in front elevation of an lndlcating marker, the lower portion thereof being broken away.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the score board itself comprises an elongated strip A formed of wood or other suitable material. A channeled track 1 is secured to the rear face of the board A adjacent the upper edge thereof.

A chain 2 is mounted to lie in this channeled track and runs over. idling wheels 3 and 4 positioned at each end of the channeled track 1, over idling wheels 5 and 6 and under a drive sprocket 7 which is driven by" suitable motive power, such as an electrical motor, through reduction gears or by clockwork. The sprocket 7 is removably connected to its supporting shaft and may be replaced by larger or smaller sprockets in a well known manner to vary the speed of the conveyor chain 2. The motor drive mechanism is also provided with speed control mechanism such as a rheostat in the case of an electric motor and a variable governor in the case of a clockwork mechanism. Neither of these driving mechanisms are illustrated in detail, as they are both well known to the art as well as other controlled variable speed drive mechanisms which would be suitable for the intended use. The drive sprocket 7 is driven by said suitable variable speed mechanism to move the chain 2 at any suitable speed, the speed being determined by the amount of time it is desired to occupy in moving individual scoring members B from one end of the board A to the other.

If the board is to be used in recording twosome plays, the speed of the conveyor chain 2 will be adjusted so as to move the scoring members B faster than is the case where the play is to be by threesomes or foursomes, since it is apparent that it takes a threesome longer to play the course than a twosome and a foursome longer than a threesome. The 1 speed of the conveyor chain may be varied during the rogress of play as above set forth to 'con orm to the average progress of the layers over the course.

' 5 The position of the driving mechanism 8 is indicated in Figures 2 and 3. A plurality of individual sc plates B are formed as from metal wi aplaniform frontportion 9, the lower part of which is preferably m shaped to a point as at;.lQ, and is coated with a suitable material to permit writing there'- on such as blackboarndpaint. The face of this portion is then di ed b lines, as lllllS- trated, to provide a o {the players.

3 names and spaces for the marking of the The upper ortion of the late is thatyatournament is to be "p yed h two me's, which is the-customary Y first 'pai'r of players are written on one "'got the platesifid e space provided therefor,

- as Figure 5, and, as the first player of this teesofi, the plate is set in position withthepins 14 inserted in the 'openings in the chain 2? As'the first twosome completeejthe' first hole their score for this hole crther chiliornshrou'ght in run- Isaeaaomaq to have one fiel teler g at every third or fourth hole, s1; UKhouQB-in important tournaments a teleflu'ph g presided at each hole so j'that thescoreofthe pla'yersis transmitted hoird for each hole, as it is The score is preferably recorded as 1mm ..nm y, y recording the u bcriiboveor helow par at the particular hole next is ready their names i a onasecond platel f st. v

a yeref eiis t'wtees s, the plate lpair'isplaced in pgjsitionaun the board i asfor theiirst. It is very fin tournamentplay that anyone rough another group of players,

1 never, case this should occur, the posiof the plates oniqoard maybe readily indicate the true a oftheplayizrs'on the course.

In the illustrated inFigure 1, there eight twosomes onjthe course. The first pair out,ind1cated by the right hand marker,

the score boar mechanism for recording the score I various players and as the plates travel alo yers in tournament, the names of 'course, a conveyin with sald member,

have almost completed the course. The names of these two players are Rice and Tate. A glance at the board indicates that the have almost finished the eighteenth hole an; that Rice is seven over par and Tate was one under par at the seventeenth hole. As the parscore at each hole is inscribed on the board their scores are readily calculated from this. The last pair out are Smith and Diegel. They have just finished the first hole, and Smith is one under par and Diegel is p In case a spectator cares to follow the game from the score board, he may watch the recording of the rogress of the pla ers around the coursean thus obtain a c ear mental picture of the entire match. If one prefers to go'outon the course, however, and watch any particular air of players, a glanoe'at (i will immediately what hole such players are on and what their respective scores were at the last hole played.

The device provides a simple and efiective of the keeping roportionate pace with the'trave of the p ayers around the course it assists greatly infollowing the game and the progress of the players around the courseand facilitates spectators in locating the players which they wish to follow on the course.

I claim: 1. A golf score display mechanism, comprising'a member having a plurality of uniformly spaced indexed markings on the face bein divided into a t enumberof thereof, said markin groups, each group strokes in the par score 0 :arliole on a iolf I course,said groups bein successively ma e said' golf holes of mechanism associated 've means connected to said conveying mechanism to drive said con veying mechanism at a predetermined speed,

to conform in proportion to the rate of travel of a player on a golf links and a plurality of marking plates slidablv mounted to overlie said board and remov'abl connected to said conveying means, each 0 said plates having a space thereon for the names of players and a space thereon for the marking of the with the numbers of t I -'players scores thereon, and, as the a 2; A- If score display mechanism, comprising an indexed member marked to indicate the par strokes of a golf course, indieating means mounted adjacent said indexed markings on said index member, and conveying means adapted to be removably connected to said indicating means to move said indi-..

cating means at a controlled speed along said indexed member. 7

3. A golf score display mechanism, comprising means having a plurality of uniformly spaced indexed markings thereon to in-, dicate the par strokes of a golf course, indiindicate 335 p p eating means having a portion thereof adjacent the indexed markings on said first means, and controlled power driven means to cause a relative movement between said indexed means and said indicating means in proportion to the estimated speed of travel of a player over a golf course.

4. A golf score display mechanism comprising a member having a plurality of uniformly spaced indexed markings on the face thereof, said markings being divided into groups, each group being the number of strokes in the par score of a hole on a golf course, said groups being successively marked with the numbers of the holes of said golf course, conveying means mounted adjacent said indexed member, traveling longitudinally thereof at a speed estimated to move the space of one group in the estimated time required for the tournament golf player to play one hole on a known golf course, an indicator adapted to be removably connected to said conveyor to overlie the portion of said board bearing said indexed markings and having a pointer thereon pointing toward said indexed markings, said indicator being adapted to be inscribed with the name and score of a player.

7 In testimony whereof I afiix m signature.

PAUL N. OATES. 

